


Shelter

by sayomiya



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters: Sun & Moon | Pokemon Sun & Moon Versions
Genre: Angst, M/M, Sadness, idk man i'm sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-20
Updated: 2016-12-20
Packaged: 2018-09-09 23:07:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8916649
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sayomiya/pseuds/sayomiya
Summary: It's a pretty messed-up sense of shelter for the both of them, but he's never been one to plan things through all the way. 
They'll manage it somehow.
 
(Platonic Gladion x Hau)





	

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!! This is my first time posting on ao3, so I posted this one-shot from wattpad here (username is izayoix there hoho) I hope you enjoy~!
> 
> ps: gladion x hau is slowly becoming my new otp oml my smol dorks

The wind is fresh in Alola.

He takes his time to enjoy it with a sort of guilty pleasure, standing at the edge of Akala's dock and closing his eyes to savour the region's sunny weather, and it's only when one of the Heahea folk snaps at him that he moves off with a stretch of his arms.

After all, it's the first time in his home region that he's not welcomed by harsh stares or suspicious gazes. He reckons that he ought to appreciate that fact a little.

Gladion is every bit a vagabond as he was before, wandering around regions and stumbling his way through his life to try and occupy the burning hole that his old job in Team Skull left, but in the end, there's really just one place he can come back to.

Without a job to burn all his years away, he's been pressed into making decisions for once, because staying behind at the Aether Foundation to clean up his mother's mess was declared wasting away the few precious years of his childhood left by Wicke—and he's been coaxed into trying out a journey of his own.

Six years later, though, he finds himself back where he started. He swears that Alola's attracting him back like some kind of ridiculously big magnet.

He misses them. He misses Selene, with all of her prodigious skills in battling; he misses Wicke, the person who's been his second mother since Lusamine snapped, and he misses Hau for being the upbeat, personable shit he is because something's missing when he's not around to be annoying.

None of them seem free; he imagines that they lead lives much more stable than his, and he finds it just the smallest bit sad that everyone seems to be growing up while he remains childish. For the most part, however, he's happy.

Somehow, he winds up at Kukui's. Figures that he has the most flexible schedule out of all of them.

The Professor seems surprised to see him at his doorstep, but he welcomes him with a wide smile just moments later. He wants to think that it's an improvement from the past.

• • •

"It's good to see that you're doing well." Kukui waves him out of the door with his Rockruff clinging on to his leg. "Do you have a place to stay? I'd be happy to help otherwise, yeah?"

"It's fine," he replies. "I'll find an inn until I decide if I'm staying for good. If I am, there's always my own room back in Aether Paradise."

Gladion doesn't quite manage to return the smile, but he's not frowning either and he considers that somewhat better than the last time.

Kukui seems to understand that he's still awkward with emotions, that he's still dancing around the matter of learning to smile every once in a while, and he nods in understanding. "All right, then. Call me if you need anything, OK?"

"Got it." He's off with that last sentence. "Thanks, Professor Kukui."

He doesn't look back after that. He's too busy mulling over what to do next—Aether Foundation seems to be the most probable, but it's too far away and he's planned for it to come last. He doesn't doubt that Silvally will tear his head off in annoyance if he was to challenge the League again so soon after returning.

There are no options that fit in his half-assed schedule; no options with people he knows, at least, so he figures that he should make the most out of his first night—and he's soon back in Akala, touring one of their many erratic night markets and questioning his decision to do so.

To say that he likes it would be a bit of a stretch. He doesn't enjoy many things these days, and the market isn't nearly as exciting as the faraway places he's been to.

One thing he notices is that the ambience there isn't what he's used to. It's very different, he finds, with overcrowded lanes and a place that thrives on its noisy atmosphere and too-bright colours, and he doesn't know if it's a good thing or not.

Gladion buys some kind of suspicious-looking bread that looks like it's been injected with too many additives and a bag of malasadas just because they're cheaper than their usual price. He's not loaded right now, and the prices are really one of the only things he appreciates in markets.

It's pleasant to realise that the intimidated glances are because of his scruffy appearance and not who he used to be, and he lets that soak in as he walks.

He ponders over the professor's words. Selene's far too busy nowadays, and he has to work his way up to the League again if he wants to talk to her again. Wicke's got Aether Foundation back up on its feet again. Lillie, of course, is still in Kanto.

Hau hasn't been in contact with anyone for a while, but he figures that the brat's just focused on his goal or busy stuffing his face with malasadas. He isn't worried, though; the dark-skinned boy is every bit a trainer as the rest of them. The boy deserves the credit.

Gladion does, however, acknowledge the fact that he misses the boy too, and he's annoyed that he won't be able to contact him in any way.

Kukui's never said anything about the rest of them, though. He must have assumed that the news would travel to him, but Alola is far too closed-off of a region for him to receive anything. He'll have to ask the Professor some other time.

A bump to his shoulder breaks that train of thought, and one of the paper bags collapses to the ground just as he's about to take another bite.

His gaze travels from the half-eaten loaf to the hooded figure before him, and he's about to sneer a nasty _back off_ when he realises that he's not in Team Skull anymore and that was most likely an accident—not an attempt to provoke him on purpose.

Once he's done curling into himself, he looks back up and manages a neutral expression. It's hard to maintain eye contact with the teenager's hood covering most of his eyes, but he gets by. "Don't do that again in the future."

Gladion's surprised, however, when he receives a surprised look instead of an apology.

He takes the few seconds he has to look closer, examining the tan face underneath the black fabric of the jacket, and he dares to slide back the cloth two inches until he sees green locks peek out and then he doesn't care that he's mirroring the boy's shocked face.

"Hau?" he decides to venture, and he's unsettled at not seeing that stupid smile on his face. It's been six years and the missing grin is what he remembers the boy by.

There's a bit of awkward silence between the both of them for a moment, but the idiot before him breaks it first when he tries to slip away before anything else can be said.

_Like hell I would let that happen,_ he tells himself, grabbing hold of Hau's hand before he can run.

Gladion remembers a little too well just how it feels to run away from everything—after all, he's done it for so long and he knows the breathless feeling of drowning better than he would like to.

He doesn't want the boy to have to experience that feeling.

It's then that he realises that he's unsure of what to do next, and he bites his lip and fails to hide the embarrassed flush overtaking his face—and he can't shake off the momentary look of anger that settles over the trainer's face and disappears just as fast as it arrives.

Huh. He never thought that the trainer could make such an expression. In all honesty, it scares him.

He shakes his head, trying not to notice how worryingly thin the other's hand is. It's not the point now, and it won't be until he figures out what the hell went on in the six years he was gone, but he's not good with words or actions and _oh god what is he going to do with Hau?_

An inward curse is let out in his mind. Gladion isn't soft and kind like Lillie or calm and all-knowing like Selene, and he's pretty sure that Hau's frightened underneath that blank, wide-eyed face of his.

"Follow me," he mutters, but his fingers still form a loose circle around the smaller boy's wrist. He can't trust that Hau won't run off. "We're getting out of here."

• • •

As expected, Gladion's current home is just as unstable as he is—a small motel, run-down and beaten but nevertheless cheap and of an acceptable standard. He can't afford to be picky with his meagre funds.

The room is warm, however, and it's a big step up from the biting cold of Alola's nights. He considers that much more important than any other factors, because he isn't about to have a debate with Hau in the middle of a crowded, icy street.

"Eat." If anything, he can see that the boy needs food from the way his jacket seems to almost swallow him, and he tosses the bag of malasadas across the bed. "These should still be warm. And don't give me any crap about not being hungry."

Across him, the trainer purses his lips and accepts the carrier. He does reach in for a piece, which Gladion is glad for, but the pastry hovers inches away from his lips and he hesitates for several moments before taking a slow bite of his meal.

Hau's eyes are dull, and the blonde doesn't know what to do about that. He's different, anyone can see that, but he doesn't think that a former member of _Team Skull_ has the proper qualifications to be a psychiatrist.

"I'm going to go straight to the point." A frown flits across his face, and he tries to erase it before it deepens into one of those scowls that the kahuna's son has teased him about before. "I'm sure everyone's worried. What happened?"

They wait in silence. Gladion doesn't probe any further, and all he does is keep his gaze steady and wait for the smaller boy to reply. There's nothing for a while, only the sound of the trainer taking another bite of his malasada, but he's able to let out the breath he's been holding when Hau decides to respond.

"Nothing much." The green-haired boy says that as if it's supposed to be obvious, but it's clear that _nothing_ is normal by the way he's directing his favourite snack such an empty gaze and letting his untied hair fall messily in his face. "Can I go now?"

"Not with that look," is all the old enforcer says. "You're not planning to return home, are you?"

He doesn't want to grin as he sees Hau flinch—that would be mean of him. For now, he would have to tiptoe on eggshells—at least until he's sure the boy can handle teasing.

"Like I expected," Gladion sighs, and he shifts back to allow the trainer more space. "What you said is a piece of shit, Hau—now tell me what happened that caused you to end up living meal to meal in some random spot of Akala. The last time I saw you, you were devouring malasadas and yelling at me that you'd train with Ilima and get even stronger."

"A lot's changed since then," the boy admits, but at least he's not trying to hide it anymore. He's a terrible liar. "I don't want to become the Melemele kahuna anymore. I'm sure Ilima could handle the task much better than I could."

The blonde blinks, ready to snap back some sarcastic remark about it just being self-confidence issues, but the both of them are more than conscious of the fact that it isn't true. Hau has more perseverance than anyone he's seen, and he recalls that it is his very enthusiasm—after being beaten _so many goddamn times_ —that piqued the taller boy's interest.

Gladion considers just bringing the kid to somewhere that was trained to deal with his problems, because the Melemele native has something deeper than he thinks he can dig out and he's nowhere near being the most kindhearted person.

Something stops him, though, and he thinks it's guilt. Selene and Lillie may have been there too, but he remembers that the idiot being the one who opened his eyes the most. It's his time to return the favour, whether he can do it or not.

"You wouldn't give up on that easily." He's cautious as he speaks. "Something else must have happened. Ilima's a good person and all, but that's not a good enough reason."

Hau makes a noise between a restrained sob and a growl. "Is it not fine to give up?" he mutters in response, and the severity in his tone causes him to wince. "I mean, I've lost against you and Selene every single time. I'm not suited to be a trainer."

_Arceus,_ Gladion thinks. He doesn't quite react to that. Part of him has always assumed that those things never mattered much to the trainer, but it's apparently otherwise and he's at a loss at what to do.

Another selfish bit of him is relieved. He feels better knowing that the malasada-loving boy has a human breaking point like the rest of them.

"Maybe it's fine to give up, but that doesn't explain why you're sulking all the way over here instead of looking for something else to do." He glances at the dark-skinned boy with furrowed brows.

"Lost interest," Hau quips right back. "In life. In everything, really."

"Shut up." He has to force his tone to be steady, and he massages his temples while trying to hide a sigh. It's eleven at night, almost twelve, and he's not ready to deal with any of this. "That doesn't give you the privilege of being selfish. At least _tell_ your family and friends where you are, you idiot."

That causes the teenager to freeze once again, and the hollow look is reappearing and _holy shit_ he can't take it when the brat looks like he's about to burst into tears. Gladion's screwed up pretty royally, and now _he's_ the one panicking as he fumbles for something to say.

"Hau," he mutters, clueless on how to handle someone who can go into a panic attack any moment. "Did anything happen?"

The boy's voice is brittle, as if it would shatter at any moment, but it doesn't quite break and he's thankful for that. "H-Hala," he starts, and his voice gives a dangerous wobble. "H-He—"

He takes a deep breath to collect himself before starting over. "Hala's dead," he whispers, and the two words are enough to make Gladion's heart almost explode in his chest and skin to turn ashen. "Died a year ago."

Hau is far too calm for the matter at hand, and the dry tone he hears barely manages to conceal the woebegone one hiding behind. It's too much for him, really, and he's crossed what little distance there is in an instant. He figures that the kid deserves a hug.

Of course, the embrace is awkward and shitty because he doesn't have much experience with them in the first place. The best he can do is wrap stiff arms around the boy just as he's seen Selene and Lillie do so many times, but it seems to work and he's not complaining about that.

"The final battle with Selene—the one just before the Elite Four—it was the last straw," the smaller boy continues, leaning into his warmth and letting his choked sobs burst forward like water splitting from a dam. "Something in me snapped—'m not sure what."

Gladion isn't sure what else to do other than continue holding him and listening, so he stays where he is and tries not to move too much. He can feel the other burrowing into his chest and it isn't the most comfortable position, but the teenager seems to find some form of solace in it and he has no choice but to relent.

"I started screaming at Tutu 'nce everything was all over," Hau gasps in between his cries. "Pretty sure he must have thought I was insane. Ilima had to come over and restrain me."

He remains silent. It's not that he doesn't have anything he wants to say; it's that the boy os saying what he needs to hear and he doesn't want to mess everything up.

"Tutu died a few days later." Perhaps Lusamine twisted his views a little— he sees Hau trying to smile through all his bitterness and he finds that ugly. Incomparable to his previous self. "I couldn't even say anything during the entire funeral. I couldn't even look Ilima in the eye."

Gladion does nothing but move clumsy hands over his back in what he thinks are circles, but they're shaking a little too much for him to see that. The boy, however, misinteprates his silence for something else entirely. "Are you thinking what he did?"

"That you're a monster, useless and a good-for-nothing?" the blonde snaps back, and he feels Hau's shoulders tense below his arms. He doesn't dare to let go, though, and he wishes the kid would stop trembling. "That Trial Captain isn't a bad man. He would never think such things, and I wouldn't either."

"Maybe I used to think that you were useless," he admits in a softer tone. "But that was before, and I'm still an asshole no matter what. You—if you're just going to face everything by running away like this, then you're no different from who I used to be. And look how well _that_ turned out."

It's true, he realises. He does see a bit of his headstrong eleven-year-self in him right now; the part that was far too rebellious for his own good and was all over the place. Maybe that's another reason why he wants to help.

"You got better," Hau says, and Gladion is just glad that he's still able to joke around.

"I think you and I would be glad if you didn't end up joining a criminal organisation before that," he replies, trying to ease the mood a little more. "Running away sucks. Trust me."

He receives no answer; instead, the brat seems content in avoiding his gaze and remaining in the hug, he doesn't need the response to be verbal. A phrase that feels like _it does_ flows through the boy's body, and that's all the confirmation he needs.

"Finish your malasadas." Gladion grunts as he detaches himself from the hug. "I'm not an expert at Alolan cuisine, but those things are meant to be eaten warm. There's no microwave here, so eat them and go to sleep. I'll be nice for once and let you have the bed."

Hau looks up at him through puffy eyes. He's broken, yes, in more places than one, but the teenager knows how long these things take. He supposes he's willing to hand-hold him through it. "Why're you doing all this?"

"You did it for me." The blonde gives a noncommittal shrug. "Might as well do the same for you. If you can stand me being a screwed-up prick, I can stand you at your worst."

He cuts the sentimental talk. They'll need to go to Melemele and Mount Lanakila to assure everyone that Hau's alive and breathing, and he's going to have to ask Wicke on how to handle things like these. There's also the matter of asking for his old room, but he suspects that he's going to spend more time in Iki Town than he is there.

It's a pretty messed-up sense of shelter for the both of them, but he's never been one to plan things through all the way. They'll manage it somehow.

Above him, he hears Hau breathe, a soft sound that makes him relax because he's not dead and floating somewhere in the depths of the Melemele sea.

"Thank you." His voice is quiet, a sign that he's already drifting off to whatever dreamland Cresselia's prepared.

"Hmph." Gladion grunts in reply. "Shut up."

The both of them smile in the prescence of each other, and they sleep.


End file.
